City of Pasadena, police officer reach settlement in demotion lawsuit

HOUSTON - A settlement was reached in a recent lawsuit accusing the city of Pasadena of demoting a police officer because of his race.

Court records show Albert Galvan and his employer entered a joint notice of settlement in the suit on April 22.

Galvan sued the city in Houston federal court in late January, claiming the defendant discriminated against him because of his race and gender when it transferred him from the police department’s juvenile division to patrol more than two years ago.

His original petition explained that his former partner, a female detective, made inappropriate advances toward him and filed several “frivolous” internal complaints against him when he continuously refused.

It added a juvenile division sergeant occasionally referred to Galvan as his “token Mexican” in the presence of other detectives as well as tried to prevent the plaintiff from returning to the division.

A complaint from the detective who purportedly harassed Galvan prompted the defendant to place him back on patrol, the suit stated.

Meanwhile, Galvan’s own complaint about sexual harassment reportedly earned him a suspension.

The city did not provide an original answer, but submitted a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim more than a month after the litigation was launched.

Both parties have until May 20 to reinstate the suit, according to a document signed by U.S. District Court Judge Lynn N. Hughes.

Attorney William Scott Helfand of the Chamberlain Hrdlicka Law Firm in Houston represented the respondent.

Case No. 4:13-CV-212